EFO RIRO PIES (Plant Based)
Efo Riro Pies
What if you could make a Classic Nigerian style meat pies vegan and with traditional Nigerian flavor!
Yield: 16-20 meat pies
PREP IT!
Pepper Blend
4 large Bell pepper, red, fresh, cut into 16 chunks
1 large Onion, red, fresh, cut into 16 chunks
½ large Onion, yellow, fresh, cut into 8 chunks
2 cloves Garlic, fresh, whole
½-inch piece Ginger
1 large Habanero
Efo Riro
4 tablespoons Vegetable oil
3 tablespoons Red palm oil
½ medium Red onion, diced small
1 large Habanero, minced
¾ teaspoon Locust Beans, fermented (Iru)
1 tablespoon Vegetable bouillon paste
2½ tablespoon Taste Tutor Smoked 101
2 teaspoons Taste Tutor Jollof Seasoning
¼ teaspoon Taste Tutor Piri Piri Seasoning, optional if you don’t want it spicy
Full batch Pepper blend (recipe above)
½ cup Vegetable broth
Full batch Precooked meats (recipe above)
2 pounds Kale, chopped
For Dough:
2 cups Flour, all purpose
2 cups Flour, bread
2 teaspoons Salt
3 teaspoon Baking powder
2 tablespoons Sugar, granulated
½ cup (1 stick) Plant based butter, cold, cubed ( I used Earth Balance brand sticks)
½ cup Vegetable shortening
1¼ cup Coconut milk
½ cup Vegetable shortening
For Wash:
¼ cup Oat milk
4 teaspoons Cornstarch
MAKE IT!
Pepper Blend
In a blender or a food processor, add all ingredients and pulse until approximately 1/8 inch in size.
Pour ingredients into a strainer and allow to drain, refrigerated, until most of the water has separated from the pepper blend (about 8 hours).
It is now ready to use.
For Efo Riro:
Over medium high heat, add vegetable and palm oil, into a large pot.
Add red onions, habanero, locust beans, vegetable bouillon paste, Taste Tutor Smoked 101, Taste Tutor Jollof Seasoning, and Taste Tutor Piri Piri Seasoning. Sauté until onions are translucent.
Next, add pepper blend. Mix thoroughly to combine and fry for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fry until you can literally see the palm oil simmering at the top and there are no more traces of water.
Add broth, then stir to combine and bring to a light boil.
Add in kale and allow to cook until softened, about 15 minutes.
Stir one last time and take off heat and cool completely in the refrigerator.
For Dough:
Stir together flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar until evenly blended.
Using a fork or your hands, cut in the cubed cold plant based butter and shortening into the flour mixture until the mixture is crumbly like sand.
Gently fold in coconut milk until a soft sticky dough forms. Roll dough into a loose ball.
Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes or until fat re-solidifies and dough is cold to the touch.
On a well-floured surface, using a well-floured rolling pin, roll dough out to ¼ inch thick.
Using a knife or your fingers, spread the ½ cup of softened butter across the entire surface of the rolled out dough.
Fold the dough into a trifold. Turn the folded dough 90 degrees and fold into another trifold. You will end up with a very thick chunk of square dough. Roll the square out into ½ inch thick rectangle. Fold the rectangle into another trifold.
Re-wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for an additional 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Tip: if you’ve planned ahead you can measure out all the ingredients separately and store them in the fridge before assembling your dough.
For Assembly:
Preheat oven or air fryer to 425F.
Once dough is chilled, cut dough in half for easily manageable rolling. Roll into a 17” x 17” rectangle that is 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired sized shapes and fill with 2 to 2½ heaping tablespoons of filling. I cut the dough into 5¼ diameter circles.
Brush the edges of the dough with water and seal them. Use a fork to crimp the edges to make sure it your meat pie stay closed. Using a fork poke holes in the pie so steam can escape.
Whisk together oat milk and cornstarch to create a wash.
Place pies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush top of pies with wash to help with browning. Bake for 15-25 minutes until golden brown and flaky.
Store: in airtight container.
Reheat leftovers: in the oven to maintain crispy flaky texture.
